East African Experience

11 days—East African Experience - Mid Range Option

$3400-4350 USD

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Safari summary

Straight into the heart of the Masai Mara for game driving, following the flow of this itinerary to the shores of Lake Victoria and on into the heartland of Tanzania's northern safari circuit. This itinerary combines the ideal East African combination.

About this tour

	Tour type	Custom, tailor-made, private
	Main focus	Game drives
	Activity level	Easy activity
	Best months	All months
	Countries	Kenya Tanzania
	Parks	Lake Manyara Masai Mara Nairobi Ngorongoro Crater Serengeti Tarangire

Fine details

Safari highlights

Cultural visits—orphanages, markets, schools
Night game drives

Itinerary

Day 1

Nairobi

DAY 1 NAIROBI Meet at Nairobi airport upon arrival and transfer to your lodge for pre-safari briefing. HERON HOTEL (Dinner)

Day 2

Masai Mara

DAY 2 NAIROBI – MASAI MARA After breakfast, a 4-5 hour drive through agricultural country to Masai Mara Game Reserve to enter for afternoon game driving. The Mara Game Reserve is largely plains and the open grasslands are habitat to rich and varied wildlife such as lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, crocodile etc. There are also several species of birds such as vultures, herons, shrikes, etc. The annual migration of millions of wildebeest and antelope from July to September is a spectacle never to be missed by any visitor to the Mara. Continue to camp for overnight. OL MORAN CAMP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 3

DAY 3 MASAI MARA We spend all day on game drives in the Mara. Early start recommended. We’ll have our picnic lunch on the banks of the Mara river as we watch hippos. We return to the camp for dinner and overnight. OL MORAN CAMP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 4

DAY 4 MASAI MARA – SERENGETI After breakfast, early transfer to the Isebania border post with Tanzania and cross over. Meet your Tanzanian guide for Tanzania briefing and then con-tinue onto Speke Bay (Lake Victoria) for overnight. SPEKE BAY LODGE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 5

Serengeti

DAY 5 SERENGETI Serengeti is calling today – after a morning canoeing adventure, drive directly to the Serengeti! Game drive in the rolling grasslands. Criss-crossed with for-ested riverine valleys, the Serengeti plays home to millions of Africa’s large mam-mals, making this one of the world’s most famous wildlife destinations. Continue to special camp for overnight—location is seasonal as the camp follows the migra-tion movements (Serengeti or Ndutu). NASIKIA MOBILE CAMP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 6

Serengeti

DAY 6 SERENGETI All day game drive in Serengeti or Ndutu. Best time for the wildebeest migration is Dec to June but there are spectacular wildlife sights at anytime of year. NASIKIA MOBILE CAMP (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 7

Serengeti

DAY 7 SERENGETI – NGORONGORO Game drive out of the Serengeti - optional pass through Olduvai Gorge and a view of the archaeological sites (and visit the museum) where early human tools and fossils have been found (fees apply). Otherwise, we continue through the conservation area and onto the Ngorongoro crater rim for overnight. NGORONGORO SOPA LODGE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 8

DAY 8 NGORONGORO – CRATER HIGHLANDS Ngorongoro is collapsed volcano - an incredible natural amphitheatre, 25 km across and teeming with all of the African big game. Early morning descent into the crater for spectacular scenery and game viewing in what has been described as the eighth wonder of the world. In late afternoon, we return to the rim for a wil-derness walk that showcases incredible views of the caldera. Continue onto the crater highlands for overnight in chalet rooms. ENDORO LODGE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 9

DAY 9 CRATER HIGHLANDS Leisurely walking safari through farms and villages on the rift valley escarp-ment. You can discover the farming, irrigation and cattle husbandry tech-niques, visit houses and, if you want, sample local cuisine of the Iraqw tribe. There is also traditional wood-fired brick making, local musicians and you can generally gain a deeper understanding of the lifestyle of the people who live and work here. Return to lodge for overnight. ENDORO LODGE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)

Day 10

Arusha | Lake Manyara | Tarangire

DAY 10 CRATER HIGHLANDS – LAKE MANYARA - ARUSHA Game-drive around Lake Manyara National Park. This park is famed for the bird life round the soda lake - flamingos in particular, and is home to unusual tree-climbing lions. It is also has a large elephant population. In the mid-afternoon, we transfer into the Maa-sai Heartlands to a village called Esilalei (Toothbrush Tree) located in the wildlife corridor in between Tarangire and Lake Manyara. We enjoy a packed lunch just as we enter the village and are met by the villagers who offer us to freely explore this authentic village. Your visit supports the building of their school here. Return to Arusha for overnight. KARAMA LODGE (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)